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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. toast — bread
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — to protest
  10. cell — in biology
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. court — of a king
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. object — a thing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — a phone
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com